ShelterBox appeal to Rotary

ShelterBox CEO Chris Warham has written a direct letter to Rotarians as they prepare to respond to one of the largest humanitarian crises in years – the retaking of Mosul, Iraq from Islamic State. They need Rotary's help.

"Dear Rotarians,
The city of Mosul in northern Iraq has been under Islamic State rule for two years. This autumn, Iraqi security forces, along with Kurdish and Tribal forces and support from the US, are preparing to retake the city.

This military action is set to force more than 1 million people to flee the city. They are the people who were not able to escape before Islamic State took hold. They are the very young, the very old and the families who were not able to leave due to illness and poverty.

They have suffered atrocities we can only imagine. After being trapped in the city by constant warfare, families are desperate to find safety, but many of them have nowhere to go. You can give these families shelter.

Many of the disasters we respond to are difficult to predict. We don't always know when the next typhoon will hit or the next volcano will explode, but we know the families of Mosul need us. It is not a case of if, it's a case of when. We must ensure that we are ready to act when the time comes. We cannot fail these families.

By working together, ShelterBox and Rotary and our partners can give ShelterKits, tents and vital supplies to provide safe places to sleep and the ability to recover. We can provide warmth in the face of a harsh winter and we can help communities to build once more after the horrors of war.

To do this, £1 million worth of aid is urgently needed. The more money we raise, the more we can help families forced from their homes by this terrible crisis.

ShelterBox's work would not be possible without the support of Rotary Clubs across Great Britain and Ireland and around the world. By supporting ShelterBox today, you can help us be ready to provide shelter the second it is needed by these families. Thank you for helping ensure that no family goes without shelter. Your donations are changing lives.

Yours sincerely, Chris Warham, Chief Executive"